


Superfluous

by GretchenSinister



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-11
Packaged: 2020-01-11 07:10:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18425451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GretchenSinister/pseuds/GretchenSinister
Summary: Original Prompt: "Jack overhears someone questioning what it’s like to die/drown could be a guardian questioning why someone kill themselves, or what death is like, as in the books they didn’t die. Then jack comes in and gives an account of drowning giving full details, creeping out the other guardians, give me them questioning Jack’s job, does he take the last breaths, does he sit with them?Them one of the guardians questions how he know this. And with a smile on his face he goes on to say it’s his memory, how he was happy it happened he saved his sister, and less food was needed on him as his family was poor.Then questioning why they all looked so shocked, when they realised that Jack died but was happy about it.Tl;dr jack tells the guardians what it’s like to drown, cue horror when they realise it’s a happy memory for Jack."Jack’s actually fronting about this being a happy memory, and he ends up talking to Tooth about why that is.





	Superfluous

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr on 2/27/2015.

“…and so, that’s what it was like. I don’t recommend the experience itself, but I suppose overall it was a good thing.” Jack looks around at the others, all with expressions of warring shock and concern. “What?” he asks. “It’s been over for a long time now…”  
  
“Yes, but Jack,” Tooth says, “just because you’re a Guardian now doesn’t have to mean that everything that led to that was good. I mean, we’re all glad we were chosen, but the means that led to it…” she looks around at the others. “They weren’t easy. You don’t have to think about it as though it was, especially because yours seems to have been the hardest of all.”  
  
Jack tilts his head. “But I’m not saying it was only a good thing because I was chosen,” he says. “Times were always pretty tough for my family–I mean, when I died, it was when my sister and I were playing on a frozen lake, and I didn’t even have shoes on. I was sort of…extra, I guess? Compared to everyone else. I have a lot of memories of goofing off. But that really shouldn’t have been an option for me in that time and place. And it shouldn’t really be surprising to all of you, after all, it took me three hundred years to find my purpose in  _this_  life and before that, well, Bunny, you know I was pretty destructive.”  
  
“Well, yeah,” Bunny says, “but I’d say now that was more out of frustration than you being useless. It’s nothing about you that the Man in the Moon took so long to tell you anything.”  
  
Jack looks away and shrugs. “Well, anyway…this isn’t about my life after being chosen. Like I said, it would have been a good thing even if I hadn’t been. I saved my sister, and after I died, there was one less mouth to feed. We never really had enough to go around, and once I was gone, I feel like there would have been a better chance of her getting everything that she needed.” He turns to Tooth. “Actually, come to think of it, could I find out what happened to her after I was gone? You have her memories, right?”  
  
Tooth’s gaze flicks around at the others, who still share similar worried expressions. Sandy nods slightly, as does North, and, a beat later, Bunny. “Yes,” she says slowly. “We can go now, actually, if you like.”  
  
***  
  
Tooth doesn’t fly in the memorial halls, and so neither does Jack. “You keep them all here?” he asks, craning his neck at the towering walls. The halls are dim, especially compared to the rest of the palace, and the ceiling is lost in shadow.  
  
“All the ones that are still unfaded, yes,” Tooth says. “With my help, the other Guardians can see the memories. We had used them to get a better idea about how children saw the world–even if they were…I suppose you might say, out of date. Living memories…it’s more dangerous to try to see the whole picture. It can overwhelm a person, and when nothing’s left out, that can do more harm than good. And…it doesn’t seem right to just throw out memories.”  
  
“You said unfaded.”  
  
Tooth nods. “I don’t know why, but after a person dies, their memories do eventually fade from their teeth.”  
  
“How long does it take? I mean, my sister’s will still be here, right?”  
  
“It…depends.” Tooth pauses, and reaches out to touch Jack’s wrist to keep him from rushing ahead. “Your sister’s memories might still be here, or they might not. I only instantly know about living memories. But I really wanted to bring you somewhere I could talk to you about  _your_  memories.”  
  
Jack’s eyebrows draw together. “What about them?”  
  
“Memories aren’t exact records of events, or at least not events as everyone would see them. And in your case…Jack, you may remember it that way, but I doubt your family saw you as just another mouth to feed. And if your sister’s memories are still here, do you really think that she would agree that your death was a good thing?”  
  
Jack folds his arms, and remains silent for a long moment. “She would think my being a Guardian was a good thing. But she never knew that, did she?” He looks away from Tooth, and continues, quietly. “I guess…I guess I don’t really want to see her memories, if…I mean, it makes it easier to think about it if I think that it was a good thing for everyone. Otherwise…The Man in the Moon could have chosen me before I died.”  
  
“And it would have been strange, never aging and maybe slipping out of sight when you shouldn’t have, around your family, but they would have still been glad to have you there,” Tooth says. “Yes.”  
  
“Then why…there’s too many questions! I was angry at the Moon for a long, long time, and that was without knowing anything, and now that I know–but I’m a Guardian! And…” he shakes his head in confusion.  
  
Tooth puts her hand on his shoulder. “As long as you protect children, you can be as angry at the Moon as you want. As for everything else, well. There’s nothing about being a Guardian that guarantees that it will be easy.” He meets her eyes and she smiles. “Hey. It’s all right. Maybe Pitch or someone will try something soon and we’ll have a fight where we can use our fists.” 


End file.
